Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Around the MLB: 3 September 2010
I'm just going to do a quick post for Friday's games. Its a little late in the day Saturday already and I didn't get a chance last night. I'll try to cover the highlights of last night as best I can.
Cole Hamels is lights out: Hamels' 7 innings of shutout baseball propelled the Phillies to a crucial 1-0 victory in their division race with the Braves. Because of the Braves loss to the Marlins today, the Phillies gained a game and are now only one down. This is probably the most exciting race in baseball at the moment.
Cardinals 3, Reds 2: For midwest baseball fans, this series is huge. The cardinals took the first game of the series last night with a big RBI triple from Jon Jay and a solid outing from starting Jaime Garcia. The way the rest of this series pans out will be the major factor in determining whether the Cards can come back in the NL Central.
I don't wanna write way to much so I'm just gonna finish up with my Pirates recap.
Pirates 8, Nationals 5: Garrett Jones had two doubles and 3 RBIs in the Bucs 45th win of the season. Ryan Doumit also added his 15th HR of the season. Zach Duke picked up his 7th win of the season with a so-so start against a not so good team. Typical Duke. Besides Sean Gallagher and Brian Burres, the other three relief pitchers did a great job of holding off any threats from the Nats. Joel Hanrahan picked up his 3rd save on the year.
Cole Hamels is lights out: Hamels' 7 innings of shutout baseball propelled the Phillies to a crucial 1-0 victory in their division race with the Braves. Because of the Braves loss to the Marlins today, the Phillies gained a game and are now only one down. This is probably the most exciting race in baseball at the moment.
Cardinals 3, Reds 2: For midwest baseball fans, this series is huge. The cardinals took the first game of the series last night with a big RBI triple from Jon Jay and a solid outing from starting Jaime Garcia. The way the rest of this series pans out will be the major factor in determining whether the Cards can come back in the NL Central.
I don't wanna write way to much so I'm just gonna finish up with my Pirates recap.
Pirates 8, Nationals 5: Garrett Jones had two doubles and 3 RBIs in the Bucs 45th win of the season. Ryan Doumit also added his 15th HR of the season. Zach Duke picked up his 7th win of the season with a so-so start against a not so good team. Typical Duke. Besides Sean Gallagher and Brian Burres, the other three relief pitchers did a great job of holding off any threats from the Nats. Joel Hanrahan picked up his 3rd save on the year.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Around the MLB: 2 September 2010
Short Schedule today in the Majors, looks like we can just go game by game:
Sabathia is dazzling: C.C. picked up his 19th win of the season today agains the Oakland A's. Without a doubt, his performance today exemplified why he should be this year's AL Cy Young award winner. 8 innings, 0 runs, 1 hit, 3 walks, 5 strikeouts. All of this coming at a clutch time in the season when the Yankees could easily lose the division lead to the Rays. Sabathia's ERA lowered to 3.02 after last night's game. Mark Ellis was the only A's player who could manage a hit off the Yankee ace. Offensively, Curtis Granderson led the charge for the Yanks going 2-3 with 2 home runs to yanked to right field. Posada also added a solo home run. Yankees 5, A's 0
Boston inches closer to Wildcard Spot: Following a victory last night against the Orioles, the Red Sox are now just 6.5 games back of a wildcard spot. In order for them to make the playoffs this year, they will have to rely on the Rays losing a lot the rest of the way. They do not control their own destiny at this point. Last night the offensive was led by a great second inning effort from the middle of the order. Adrian Beltre smashed a solo shot (25) and David Ortiz hit a key two run single, gathering RBIs 81 and 82 on the season. Scott Atchison pitched two flawless innings of relief. In his first year with the Red Sox, Atchison has done a decent job in relief. 31 appearances, and about a 3.83 ERA. Red Sox 6, Orioles 4
Crazy night in Minnesota: 13 innings, 4 hours and 47 minutes, 15 pitchers, and constant lead changes made this game a thriller for sure. Don Kelly got things rolling for the Tigers with a solo shot in the 2nd to put them up 2-0, only to be matched in the bottom of the inning by a two-run single from Jose Morales. J.J. Hardy hit a sac fly in the 4th to put the Twins up 3-2, then in the top of the 5th, Miguel Cabrera had an RBI groundout to tie it up again. The bottom of the 5th was a big inning for the Twins, putting up 3 runs, the first of which was caused by an error. The Twins put up one more before the Tigers' Johnny Peralta hit a solo HR to make it 4-7 in the top of the 8th, immediately followed by a Ryan Raburn pinch-hit HR to make it 5-7. Wil Rhymes then made up for his earlier error by knocking in two with a single, tying the game at 7-7. Minnesota took the lead again in the Bottom of the 8th, on a single by Alexi Casilla. Then in the top of the 9th, September call-up Casper Wells hit a game tying HR to send it into extras. It was the first of his career. In the top of the 11th, Ryan Raburn singled home a run to give the Tigers a 9-8 lead. This was matched by an RBI groundout from Delmon Young in the bottom frame. Finally, in the top of the 13th, Gerald Laird hit the go ahead HR and Jose Valverde held the Twins off. Tigers 11, Twins 10
Cleveland beats Seattle in a meaningless affair: Ya, the title pretty much says it all. It's not really worth talking about so here's the score. Indians 6, Mariners 3
Mets stand in the way of Braves: The Braves and Phillies, as we know, are in a crucial race for the division. Tonight, before getting injured, Johan Santana pitched 5 great innings of baseball. He gave up one run, on a homer by Brian McCann. Hudson pitched a great game for the Bravves as well, unfortunately 7 innings and 3 ER wasn't good enough last night. The Mets' offense was lead by a David Wright solo HR (22) and a Carlos Beltran RBI triple. Mets 4, Braves 2
Phillies score nine in the seventh, gain momentum: With the win tonight, and the Braves' loss, the Philies have come within two games of the division league. This will be a very interesting race to watch as we approach the end of the regular season. The Phillies had 9 runs in the top of the 7th, led by HRs from Ryan Howard(25) and Jayson Werth(19). The teams had a combined 35 hits, including 20 from Colorado. Unfortunately for Colorado, they stranded 14 runners on base. Phillies 12, Rockies 11
Sabathia is dazzling: C.C. picked up his 19th win of the season today agains the Oakland A's. Without a doubt, his performance today exemplified why he should be this year's AL Cy Young award winner. 8 innings, 0 runs, 1 hit, 3 walks, 5 strikeouts. All of this coming at a clutch time in the season when the Yankees could easily lose the division lead to the Rays. Sabathia's ERA lowered to 3.02 after last night's game. Mark Ellis was the only A's player who could manage a hit off the Yankee ace. Offensively, Curtis Granderson led the charge for the Yanks going 2-3 with 2 home runs to yanked to right field. Posada also added a solo home run. Yankees 5, A's 0
Boston inches closer to Wildcard Spot: Following a victory last night against the Orioles, the Red Sox are now just 6.5 games back of a wildcard spot. In order for them to make the playoffs this year, they will have to rely on the Rays losing a lot the rest of the way. They do not control their own destiny at this point. Last night the offensive was led by a great second inning effort from the middle of the order. Adrian Beltre smashed a solo shot (25) and David Ortiz hit a key two run single, gathering RBIs 81 and 82 on the season. Scott Atchison pitched two flawless innings of relief. In his first year with the Red Sox, Atchison has done a decent job in relief. 31 appearances, and about a 3.83 ERA. Red Sox 6, Orioles 4
Crazy night in Minnesota: 13 innings, 4 hours and 47 minutes, 15 pitchers, and constant lead changes made this game a thriller for sure. Don Kelly got things rolling for the Tigers with a solo shot in the 2nd to put them up 2-0, only to be matched in the bottom of the inning by a two-run single from Jose Morales. J.J. Hardy hit a sac fly in the 4th to put the Twins up 3-2, then in the top of the 5th, Miguel Cabrera had an RBI groundout to tie it up again. The bottom of the 5th was a big inning for the Twins, putting up 3 runs, the first of which was caused by an error. The Twins put up one more before the Tigers' Johnny Peralta hit a solo HR to make it 4-7 in the top of the 8th, immediately followed by a Ryan Raburn pinch-hit HR to make it 5-7. Wil Rhymes then made up for his earlier error by knocking in two with a single, tying the game at 7-7. Minnesota took the lead again in the Bottom of the 8th, on a single by Alexi Casilla. Then in the top of the 9th, September call-up Casper Wells hit a game tying HR to send it into extras. It was the first of his career. In the top of the 11th, Ryan Raburn singled home a run to give the Tigers a 9-8 lead. This was matched by an RBI groundout from Delmon Young in the bottom frame. Finally, in the top of the 13th, Gerald Laird hit the go ahead HR and Jose Valverde held the Twins off. Tigers 11, Twins 10
Cleveland beats Seattle in a meaningless affair: Ya, the title pretty much says it all. It's not really worth talking about so here's the score. Indians 6, Mariners 3
Mets stand in the way of Braves: The Braves and Phillies, as we know, are in a crucial race for the division. Tonight, before getting injured, Johan Santana pitched 5 great innings of baseball. He gave up one run, on a homer by Brian McCann. Hudson pitched a great game for the Bravves as well, unfortunately 7 innings and 3 ER wasn't good enough last night. The Mets' offense was lead by a David Wright solo HR (22) and a Carlos Beltran RBI triple. Mets 4, Braves 2
Phillies score nine in the seventh, gain momentum: With the win tonight, and the Braves' loss, the Philies have come within two games of the division league. This will be a very interesting race to watch as we approach the end of the regular season. The Phillies had 9 runs in the top of the 7th, led by HRs from Ryan Howard(25) and Jayson Werth(19). The teams had a combined 35 hits, including 20 from Colorado. Unfortunately for Colorado, they stranded 14 runners on base. Phillies 12, Rockies 11
College Football Preview
College Football Preview
College football is here! We are going to make predictions for the BCS, Heisman, and give some teams to keep an eye on as potential sleepers. First the national title game. My national title game is Nebraska (Big 12) against Alabama (SEC). The winner of this game will be Alabama. They are too talented and deep to not win barring major injuries. Mike’s national title game is Oklahoma (Big 12) against Alabama (SEC) with Alabama winning. My other conference champions are Virginia Tech (ACC), Wisconsin (Big Ten), Pittsburgh (Big East), and Oregon State (Pac 10). Mike’s conference champions are Miami (ACC), Penn State (Big Ten), Pittsburgh (Big East), and Oregon State (Pac 10).
Heisman hopefuls now. We will give our top 5 preseason watch players. These are in no particular order.
Mine- Mark Ingram (Alabama), John Clay (Wisconsin), Jacquizz Rodgers (Oregon State), Terrelle Pryor (Ohio State), Kellen Moore (Boise State)
Mike- Jacquizz Rodgers (Oregon State), Evan Royster (Penn State), Terrelle Pryor (Ohio State), Andrew Luck (Stanford), Landry Jones (Oklahoma)
Sleeper Teams
Mine- Wisconsin. The Badgers could make a run at a national title if they can beat Ohio State at home. South Carolina. Stephen Garcia has matured enough to make this a scary team to play. An SEC schedule may be too much for the Gamecocks though. Connecticut. This team will not be playing for a national title but expect them to contend for the Big East title and BCS bowl game.
Mike- Oregon State. Two words, Jacquizz Rodgers. Notre Dame. They have a great young quarterback with a great set of wide receivers. Miami. Jacory Harris has great pocket presence. If he stays out of trouble they could easily win the national title.
College football is here! We are going to make predictions for the BCS, Heisman, and give some teams to keep an eye on as potential sleepers. First the national title game. My national title game is Nebraska (Big 12) against Alabama (SEC). The winner of this game will be Alabama. They are too talented and deep to not win barring major injuries. Mike’s national title game is Oklahoma (Big 12) against Alabama (SEC) with Alabama winning. My other conference champions are Virginia Tech (ACC), Wisconsin (Big Ten), Pittsburgh (Big East), and Oregon State (Pac 10). Mike’s conference champions are Miami (ACC), Penn State (Big Ten), Pittsburgh (Big East), and Oregon State (Pac 10).
Heisman hopefuls now. We will give our top 5 preseason watch players. These are in no particular order.
Mine- Mark Ingram (Alabama), John Clay (Wisconsin), Jacquizz Rodgers (Oregon State), Terrelle Pryor (Ohio State), Kellen Moore (Boise State)
Mike- Jacquizz Rodgers (Oregon State), Evan Royster (Penn State), Terrelle Pryor (Ohio State), Andrew Luck (Stanford), Landry Jones (Oklahoma)
Sleeper Teams
Mine- Wisconsin. The Badgers could make a run at a national title if they can beat Ohio State at home. South Carolina. Stephen Garcia has matured enough to make this a scary team to play. An SEC schedule may be too much for the Gamecocks though. Connecticut. This team will not be playing for a national title but expect them to contend for the Big East title and BCS bowl game.
Mike- Oregon State. Two words, Jacquizz Rodgers. Notre Dame. They have a great young quarterback with a great set of wide receivers. Miami. Jacory Harris has great pocket presence. If he stays out of trouble they could easily win the national title.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Around the MLB: 1 September 2010
Nationals and Marlins fight UFC style: This might have been the best fight I've ever seen in an MLB game. One night after Nyjer Morgan thinks he is tight shit for unnecessarily plowing over Marlins catcher Brett Hayes, he charges the mound against Chris Volstad. For a number of reasons, Volstad intentionally threw at Nyjer Morgan. The pitch went about two feet behind him. Morgan thought for one second and then charged the mound. Watch the fight here: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/wrap.jsp?ymd=20100901&content_id=14181712&vkey=wrapup2005&fext=.jsp&team=home&gid=2010_09_01_wasmlb_flomlb_1
The best part is when Gaby Sanchez comes over from first base and just close-lines Morgan. PWNEDDDD!
Aroldis Chapman picks up first win: One night after his MLB debut, Chapman came in at the beginning of the 7th inning on the Sept. 1st. Last night we saw Chapman throw multiple 104 MPH fastballs and scavenge a win out of the game. So far this season, Chapman has faced 6 batters and retired all 6 in order, with 3 strikeouts. Not bad.
Lincecum vs Jimenez: Just what you would expect: An epic pitchers duel at AT&T Park last night, as Lincecum just got the better of Jimenez. Although Ubaldo pitched 8 innings of 2 run baseball, not to mention 10 strikeouts, good ol' Tim 1-uped the man. Lincecum went 8 innings giving up only 1 run, while striking out 9. It is also worth noting in this game that Carlos Gonzalez hit his 30th homer of the year and Brian Wilson picked up his 38th save of the year.
Walk it out Valencia: Last night Max Scherzer pitched 9 innings, giving up 1 run. He didnt get the win. Francisco Liriano pitched 7 innings, giving up 0 runs. He didn't get the win either. If it weren't for Jhonny Peralta's RBI single in the eighth inning, Liriano would have won the game. In extras, Jon Rauch shut the Tigers down, and in the bottom of the frame Michael Cuddyer got on base, stole second, and was knocked in by Danny Valencia.
Down goes Gorzo!: After taking a line shot directly off the pitching arm last night, Cubs pitcher Tom Gorzelanny immediately left the game. The liner came off the bat of Jose Tabata, who has been smoking the ball lately. Fortunately, the MRI showed no fracture, but he will be getting a CT Scan on the tip of his finger today.
Pirates 3, Cubs 5: I knew we lost this game when John McDonald gave up a run-scoring double in the second inning. McDonald struggled with his pitch placement tonight, allowing the Cubs' hitters to pound the ball at times. It was depressing to see McDonald struggle like this with the potential that he has. It's gotta be a blow to his confidence, but hopefully he will bounce back on his next start. Overall he didn't pitch too bad though, 5 innings 3 runs 8 hits 2 walks and 6 strikeouts. On a postive note for the Bucs, Neil Walker continues to shine with the bat. Walker went 3-5 with a HR and a double. For the Cubbies, Thomas Diamond got his first win of the season and Carlos Marmol picked up his 28th save.
AL Division and Wilcard Races: The AL East is exciting as always, except this time it is between the Rays and the Yankees. In my opinion, the BoSox just don't have it this year. They are 8 games behind the division lead and 7 games back of the wildcard. But anything could happen. As Joe Morgan would say "It's too early to tell." The AL Central is also exciting as just 4 games separate the Twins and the White Sox. As always, the White Sox will look toward their pitching to carry them into the postseason. Also, Paul Konerko has had one hell of a season and he will need to continue to drive in runs for them to have a chance. The AL West is pretty much locked up already. I know, it's pretty boring in that division. Texas is 9.5 ahead of Oakland who are still under 50. Texas will no doubt move onto the playoffs, sorry Billy Beane, maybe next year.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
JoeChat: 8/24
Hello Everyone! Welcome to another episode of JoeChat! I had to go back a week to retrieve this gold, but here I am writing it a week later. So enjoy the wise words of Mr. Joe Morgan.
Tito (Brooklyn)
Which of these 4 outfielders should be benched: Manny, Kemp, Ethier, or Podsednik?
Joe Morgan (11:23 AM)
That's a difficult question, because right now, Manny hasn't proven that he's back at 100%. Podsednik has done pretty well for them. Kemp and Ethier should be playing because they have a high upside and could be superstars in time. Manny is a great hitter, has been a great hitter, but it still matters if he still has that ability. If they're all playing the way they're supposed to, then Podsednik is the odd man out.
- Hypothetically, let us say that all of these players are playing like they are and not the way they are "supposed to be." Joe, what the hell does that even mean in the context of this question? O, sorry I forgot, how well you perform is synonymous with how well you are supposed to perform. Here is an example, the other day Stephen Strasburg tore a ligament in his elbow and will require Tommy John surgery. Now should I bench him or Jarrod Zimmerman. Going off of "Joe Theory" I should play Strasburg with a torn ligament because he is SUPPOSED TO be playing better than Jarrod Zimmerman. Come on man.
Tito (Brooklyn)
Joba's been pitching better lately. Do you think his confidence is back?
Joe Morgan (11:14 AM)
Confidence is like the question, which comes first, the chicken or the egg? Success breeds confidence, but if you're confident, you will be successful. He may be confident right now after some good outings, but as soon as you have some poor outings, you will be where you were before. Although I am surprised at his lack of success the last couple of years. He came out looking like he was going to be a dominant pitcher for a long time.
- He didn't ask for your definition and explanation of what confidence is. The man just wants to know whether Joba is confident again!
Joe Morgan (11:04 AM)
It's interesting that recently we've had two pitchers taken out of the game with a no-hitter. It used to be that it wasn't a big deal when that happened. But now, it is. With pitchers on pitch counts and trying to protect their arms, they're trying to protect the pitcher. Before, it wasn't a pitch limit that took a pitcher out, it was more how they were pitching and how they looked physically.
- Read that third sentence again With pitchers on pitch counts and trying to protect their arms, they're trying to protect the pitcher. Joe, this is a great way to start off a chat session. This sentence is both repetitive and a complete mishmash of words. What your saying (in a run on sentence) is that pitchers are trying to protect their arms, while the pitcher's are trying to protect the pitchers. Good job my man. Your a dumbass.
J.B. (Dunmore, PA)
Do you think the Braves can hold off the Phillies or is that potent lineup and improved pitching staff going to overtake Atlanta? I think even if they do, Bobby Cox gets one final chance in the post-season to win a 2nd ring.
Joe Morgan (11:13 AM)
I felt that the Phillies would overtake them. But the Braves are holding on. If you're in first place, then you have the chance to hold on, even though I think the Phillies have the best overall team.
- You did an excellent job of avoiding an answer to the man's question. I think what Joe is trying to say is that the Phillies "should" win the division cause they are the best team. Unfortunately for Joe, that wasn't the question. Hey Joe! Thanks for pointing out that if your team is in the lead of division, that they have a chance to hold it. No shit. Your an idiot.
Jeff (Indianapolis)
With Pujols leading the NL in HR and RBI and Votto leading in BA, which is more likely for a triple crown, Pujols catching Votto in BA or Votto catching Pujols in HR and RBI?
Joe Morgan (11:17 AM)
I think Pujols has the better chance of winning the Triple Crown. Votto has never lead the lead in any of those categories. Pujols might win the Triple Crown.
- Well the first sentence is spot on I must say. It looks like we have some trouble when we start to make paragraphs, don't we? First, your second sentence is hilarious. It makes no sense. Even though I get what you are trying to say, it still is a dimwit comment. Why does it matter if Votto has never lead the league in any of the categories? Joe, you must have taken a good amount of time to write this second sentence, because you change your mind in the last sentence. In fact, the last sentence shouldn't even be there. Because Votto "might" win the Triple Crown as well.
Tito (Brooklyn)
Do you think the Boston Red Sox will make the playoffs if Johnny Damon returns to that team?
Joe Morgan (11:19 AM)
He can help them because they have too many injuries in their outfield. He's a veteran and he has some leadership abilities. He definitely will help them. Whether that will be enough to lead them into the playoffs, I can't answer that. But he will no doubt help them. His presence helps improve that team. But if he went to the Rays or the Yankees that would happen too. He would help any team in the race. He's been there before and he has had some success in the postseason.
- But he will no doubt help them. His presence helps improve that team. But if he went to the Rays or the Yankees that would happen too. He would help any team in the race. I just wanted to point out that these four sentences are worthless. They can all be summed up by the last sentence. This is such a vague statement that it almost answers the question. Here is an analogy I made up based off this Joegraph outline: "Albert Pujols is a good hitter for the Cardinals. Albert Pujols' hitting helps the Cardinals. If Pujols went to the Reds or the Brewers he would also help them. Albert Pujols is a good hitter for any team." Solid.
Tito (Brooklyn)
What do you think is more important from the leadoff hitter in a batting lineup: speed or OBP?
Joe Morgan (11:25 AM)
A perfect leadoff hitter does both. You want guys to get on base. There were a lot of guys who hit first and got on base but didn't have speed. Wade Boggs comes to mind. He got on base a lot and gave his team a chance to score runs. Now if a guy gets on base and has speed, he can help the team score runs by himself. If he doesn't have speed, then you can still get on base and help the team score runs within the team concept.
- Is Joe incapable of answering an "either or question"? You can't have both buddy! That's why he asked the question. You dimtwit.
Joe Chat 9/1
From today's weekly chat with Joe (a day late I might add, Joe missed it yesterday for some reason).
Tito (Brooklyn)
Do you think CC Sabathia is the frontrunner for the AL CY Young award right now?
Joe Morgan
I've always said that but everyone seems to think that his numbers don't matter because he pitches for the Yankees. All CC has done is continue to win, while others were talking about Cliff Lee being the best pitcher in the AL. Right now we have many different ways to look at how a pitcher is performing, but the name of the game is to win. I feel that he should be the Cy Young Award winner because he's the only one carrying the Yankees rotation right now. But there's something about the Yankees that people don't want to give him credit for. I'm amazed that Mark Teixiera and Jeter did not get a first place vote for MVP last year.
“I’m amazed that Mark Teixeira and Jeter did not get a first place vote for MVP last year.” What does this sentence have to do with the rest of the answer? Abso-fuckin-lutely nothing. Why the hell would Joe bring up last year’s MVP voting when talking about the Cy Young race this year? I have no fucking idea. And even if you forget the fact that the sentence is completely irrelevant, Joe was apparently not paying attention to this guy named Joe Mauer last year. Mauer had better numbers than Jeter in literally almost every meaningful statistic (2B, HR, RBI, AVG, OBP, SLG, OPS, BB, TB, and less Ks). And Mauer had a better AVG, OBP, SLG, and OPS then Mark Teixeira as well. Oh, and he did it while playing the most difficult position on the baseball field, catcher. So that is why neither Jeter nor Teixeira received any first place votes. (Side note: the only first place vote that didn’t go to Mauer went to Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers, who got the vote from a Detroit writer. Seems fair…)
Connor (Philadelphia)
What is your opinion on the batting woes of the Phillies. Is this something you feel they can come out of any time soon, and can they make the playoffs if it continues?
Joe Morgan
The amazing thing to me is they fired their hitting coach. He was there when they won back to back pennants and they have not hit better since. They are definitely an offensive led team. They do not have four great starters nor (sic) a great bullpen. If their offense continues to struggle, then no they won't make the playoffs. But I expect Ryan Howard to do what they've done and lead the team in September to another championship.
1) Please, just try to read that last sentence. It doesn’t make any sense.
2) Sorry, but last time I checked, the championship is in October, not September.
3) You didn’t answer the first question.
Pete (NC)
Starlin Castro has been amazing. Any chance he edges Posey for NL ROY?
Joe Morgan
He came late on the scene, I think that puts him at a slight disadvantage. I'm not going to give the award to Posey. I think he'll be a big star in the league. I'm still a Jason Heyward fan. He got the Braves off to a great start and kept them in the pennant race. If I were voting right now, it would be Heyward, Posey and then Castro. But I have no problem with people thinking Posey would be No. 1.
Who came in late on the scene? Castro? Castro got called up May 7. Posey got called up May 29. If Castro was late to the scene, then Posey was later. But good try, anyway. The case can definitely be made that Posey is ahead of Castro, and I would probably agree with you. But it’s not because Castro was “late on the scene.”
ish (NYC)
Joe, ready to pronounce the Red Sox done? Eight games and two teams in a month? Can't be done, right?
Joe Morgan
Well, they only have to leap over one team to get to the playoffs, probably. First, the Red Sox have the best rotation of the teams, if they pitch to their potential. They have to have Beckett pitch as he did in the past and Lackey as he did when he was the Angels' aces. If that happens, it's not over yet. Their chances are slim, but it's not over. The Yankees' starting rotation, other than Sabathia and Hughes, is struggling. Plus they've said they're going to cut down on Hughes' pitch count.
I forgot, John Lackey used to be so good, that not only was he the Angels number one starter, he was also their number two and three starters. Yes, that’s right, John Lackey used to be the Angels’ “aces.” And Beckett has to pitch like he did in the past. I’m sorry Joe, could you please be a little more vague? But hey, great news Sox fans! All the Red Sox need is to have a few of their pitchers go back in time a couple years and start pitching like they did in their prime. If that happens, who knows how the AL East race will end.
Jason (Long Island, NY)
Hey Joe. Big fan! I'm curious. When you are in a slump, is there stuff that a player does differently then when they are hitting well, or you have stay inside your strengths and the hits will just come?
Joe Morgan
No, a lot of times when a hitter goes into a slump, his balance gets out of whack, his timing.
He asked an either or question, and you responded by saying “no.” Good job, Joe. But it sounds like you’re saying that a guy’s stance and approach at the plate has changed when he goes into a slump. Okay.
A hitter's balance is the most important thing. If you have it and you're swinging properly, the hits will come.
Wait, so now you’re saying that he should just keep doing what he’s doing and the hits will come.
For me, you go back to the fundamentals all the time. Seeing the ball and getting your balance back. A lot of times guys will try a lot of different things, change your stance, start guessing. When you do that, that's when slumps get prolonged.
Don’t you have to try different things if your balance and timing are off and you need to get them back? You certainly can’t keep doing the same thing and expect your balance and timing to magically appear, right? And who says you can’t change your stance and be successful? Josh Hamilton did it, and it seems to have worked out all right for him. Hell, Cal Ripken Jr. changed his stance every other day, and he’s only in the Hall of Fame.
Steve (Middletown, CT)
Hey Joe the Reds in '75 and '76 didn't have a single player hit 30 home runs or a pitcher win 20 games. How were you guys so successful without much power and even fewer good pitchers?
Joe Morgan
First of all, it doesn't matter if you have 5 pitchers win 20 games or 10 pitchers win 10 games, either way it's 100 wins. And I'm not sure if Bench or Foster didn't hit 30, I had 27….
Believe it or not, Joe, the man was right (he must have actually done some research…). Neither Bench nor Foster had 30 home runs in either of those years.
A Look into the Hodgepodge that is the Buc's Rotation
I am not quite sure that I have seen anything like it. This season is by far the worst for the Pirates pitching rotation. Let's look pitcher by pitcher at what the problems are:
Chad Jakubauskas (0-1) - He came up for one spot start this season pitched 2/3 of an inning, gave up two runs, and got injured.
Dana Eveland (0-1) - has also made only one start this season and, unfortunately for him, he found out that playing for the Pirates is a frustrating affair. He pitched 5 decent innings, giving up 3 runs on 6 hits and 2 walks. Of course, he picked up the loss. He has an reputation for having an excellent groundball ratio.
James McDonald (2-3) - McDonald has done well enough by our standards to work his way into the starting rotation. Physically, he is a prototype pitcher at 6'5" 195 lbs, with a live arm. Unfortunately, he has been terribly inconsistent in his 5 starts. Two of his starts were gems (6 IP, 0 ER, 8 K - 7 IP, 1 ER, 6K). The other three starts were absolute disasters. His pitching performance is directly reflected by his 2-3 record. He is a notorious fly ball pitcher, but also strikes out more than one per inning. I think McDonald will be a key for the pirates next season, as long as he can find someway for the opposing hitters to keep the ball on the ground.
Brian Burres (2-3) - First off, I don't like Burres. I don't know why, but I always get annoyed watching him pitch. This "crafty" lefty has shown in only 2 games this year that he is worth anything. The Pirates have just brought him up again, but this time for only bullpen duty. Well...he already blew it again. In the 2-14 loss to the Cubs guess how many runs Burres was responsible for...5! In the 3 innings of work. I think the word "crafty" should be changed to "hittable" in my earlier statement.
Daniel McCutcheon (2-5) - At the beginning of the season I was excited to see what this kid could do. Well in his first four starts, he had an era of over 11, and was moved constantly between AAA and MLB. He mad his first good start against the Phillies on July 1st (5.1 IP 1 ER W). After two more bad starts, the Pirates moved him into the bullpen, where, in the month of August, he has flourished. His August era: 1.00 on the dot. This includes the best start of his career on August 25th against the Cardinals where he pitched 6 innings giving up 0 runs and striking out 5. It looks like the Pirates will continue to utilize McCutcheon in the future as a middle-long reliever.
Brad Lincoln (1-5) - The promising young pitcher never really showed that he was ready for the big leagues this year. He hasn't been with the big boy club for a month. Hopefully this kid can get it together for next season, he will be a key to the Pirates chance at a winning season.
Charlie Morton (1-10) - I think the record pretty much shows it all. He was down in AAA for most of the season, only to come back a few days ago and pitch like a retarded four year old with Parkinson's. 3 1/3 IP 7 ER. That's a good way to get your 10th loss of the season. It really doesn't even matter that he got bad run support in most of his games, he still would have lost almost every game. His stuff is just simply not good enough for the MLB. Sorry Charlie.
Jeff Karstens (3-10) - Karstens has actually pitched a solid season, despite a decievingly wretched record. Example: in 4 of his 10 quality starts this year, he has picked up a loss. In fact, in only 2 of these starts has he picked up a win. Karstens has the potential to win 15 games next year if he gets some better run support.
Ross Ohlendorf (1-11) - HE HAS A FUCKIN 4.07 ERA. WHAT THE FUCK!!!!!! I am legit pissed off and impressed at the same time that his record is 1 and fuckin 11. Never seen this before, if I were Ohlendorf I would be lobbying to play with the damn Orioles right now. Anyone but the Pirates. The entire season he has had only two "blow-up" games in 21 starts. He has pitched 2 other poor games, but other than that it has been quality start after quality start. He doesn't seem to have the stamina of a solid starting pitcher, he has gone over 100 pitches just 5 times. Damn it he has 11 quality starts! 11! And ONE win to show for it. That includes 4 losses of quality starts. He may have more wins if he could go deeper into games. 4 times this season he has started and pitched very well, but only gone 5 or less innings because of fatigue. Ohlendorf should be a borderline All-Star, unfortunately he plays for the wrong team.
Zach Duke (6-12) - The face of the Pirates franchise has continue to be one of the most average pitchers in baseball. What he does each season pretty much outlines what the Pirates will do. We've known Duke has the stuff to be a decent big league pitcher for years, he is really the equivalent to a solid #3 or #4 on most teams.
Paul Maholm (7-13) - With a terrible last start, his era jumped to 5.18. You can expect his era to be somewhere around 4.5-4.7 most of the time. He's someone that I can see the Pirates trading in a year for some more prospects. He is an established left handed pitcher in his prime, ripe for trading.
So as you can see, the Starting Rotation has a combined 25-74 record, with a combined era somewhere a few clicks below Usain Bolt's 100m time. In an optimistic note, it can't be any worse next year!
Chad Jakubauskas (0-1) - He came up for one spot start this season pitched 2/3 of an inning, gave up two runs, and got injured.
Dana Eveland (0-1) - has also made only one start this season and, unfortunately for him, he found out that playing for the Pirates is a frustrating affair. He pitched 5 decent innings, giving up 3 runs on 6 hits and 2 walks. Of course, he picked up the loss. He has an reputation for having an excellent groundball ratio.
James McDonald (2-3) - McDonald has done well enough by our standards to work his way into the starting rotation. Physically, he is a prototype pitcher at 6'5" 195 lbs, with a live arm. Unfortunately, he has been terribly inconsistent in his 5 starts. Two of his starts were gems (6 IP, 0 ER, 8 K - 7 IP, 1 ER, 6K). The other three starts were absolute disasters. His pitching performance is directly reflected by his 2-3 record. He is a notorious fly ball pitcher, but also strikes out more than one per inning. I think McDonald will be a key for the pirates next season, as long as he can find someway for the opposing hitters to keep the ball on the ground.
Brian Burres (2-3) - First off, I don't like Burres. I don't know why, but I always get annoyed watching him pitch. This "crafty" lefty has shown in only 2 games this year that he is worth anything. The Pirates have just brought him up again, but this time for only bullpen duty. Well...he already blew it again. In the 2-14 loss to the Cubs guess how many runs Burres was responsible for...5! In the 3 innings of work. I think the word "crafty" should be changed to "hittable" in my earlier statement.
Daniel McCutcheon (2-5) - At the beginning of the season I was excited to see what this kid could do. Well in his first four starts, he had an era of over 11, and was moved constantly between AAA and MLB. He mad his first good start against the Phillies on July 1st (5.1 IP 1 ER W). After two more bad starts, the Pirates moved him into the bullpen, where, in the month of August, he has flourished. His August era: 1.00 on the dot. This includes the best start of his career on August 25th against the Cardinals where he pitched 6 innings giving up 0 runs and striking out 5. It looks like the Pirates will continue to utilize McCutcheon in the future as a middle-long reliever.
Brad Lincoln (1-5) - The promising young pitcher never really showed that he was ready for the big leagues this year. He hasn't been with the big boy club for a month. Hopefully this kid can get it together for next season, he will be a key to the Pirates chance at a winning season.
Charlie Morton (1-10) - I think the record pretty much shows it all. He was down in AAA for most of the season, only to come back a few days ago and pitch like a retarded four year old with Parkinson's. 3 1/3 IP 7 ER. That's a good way to get your 10th loss of the season. It really doesn't even matter that he got bad run support in most of his games, he still would have lost almost every game. His stuff is just simply not good enough for the MLB. Sorry Charlie.
Jeff Karstens (3-10) - Karstens has actually pitched a solid season, despite a decievingly wretched record. Example: in 4 of his 10 quality starts this year, he has picked up a loss. In fact, in only 2 of these starts has he picked up a win. Karstens has the potential to win 15 games next year if he gets some better run support.
Ross Ohlendorf (1-11) - HE HAS A FUCKIN 4.07 ERA. WHAT THE FUCK!!!!!! I am legit pissed off and impressed at the same time that his record is 1 and fuckin 11. Never seen this before, if I were Ohlendorf I would be lobbying to play with the damn Orioles right now. Anyone but the Pirates. The entire season he has had only two "blow-up" games in 21 starts. He has pitched 2 other poor games, but other than that it has been quality start after quality start. He doesn't seem to have the stamina of a solid starting pitcher, he has gone over 100 pitches just 5 times. Damn it he has 11 quality starts! 11! And ONE win to show for it. That includes 4 losses of quality starts. He may have more wins if he could go deeper into games. 4 times this season he has started and pitched very well, but only gone 5 or less innings because of fatigue. Ohlendorf should be a borderline All-Star, unfortunately he plays for the wrong team.
Zach Duke (6-12) - The face of the Pirates franchise has continue to be one of the most average pitchers in baseball. What he does each season pretty much outlines what the Pirates will do. We've known Duke has the stuff to be a decent big league pitcher for years, he is really the equivalent to a solid #3 or #4 on most teams.
Paul Maholm (7-13) - With a terrible last start, his era jumped to 5.18. You can expect his era to be somewhere around 4.5-4.7 most of the time. He's someone that I can see the Pirates trading in a year for some more prospects. He is an established left handed pitcher in his prime, ripe for trading.
So as you can see, the Starting Rotation has a combined 25-74 record, with a combined era somewhere a few clicks below Usain Bolt's 100m time. In an optimistic note, it can't be any worse next year!
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